Child's Play
by Esk42
Summary: Kagome is in a coma, her miko powers are gone. InuYasha waits in her time for her to wake up while a demon queen in the Feudal Era plots to avenge her race using an army of children. Rated for mild language.
1. Numb

AN: Ok guys, this is my first. I've been working on it for a while now. Changed it about ten times, re-wrote the first five chapters about four times and am now satisfied with the way the story is developing. I want your input though, and I'm only putting out the first chapter at first. I have six more written, but I want to see how you like it, if it needs to be changed, and if my writing style is ok. So do me a favor and review. This isn't one of those, 'give me five reviews or no update' thing, I just want your honest opinions before I continue with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any affiliated characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. I seek to gain nothing from the writing of this story except for enjoyment. There are numerous characters that I have created that I do claim ownership of, and ask that, if for some reason you want to use them in one of your own stories, you simply ask my permission.

Ok that's it. Not too long of an A/N. And now, the first chapter of Child's Play.

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Modern Day Japan. .

Inuyasha growled low in his throat. How long was this supposed to take? The scent of pain and anxiety permeated the entire building, mingling with the heavy odors of disinfectant and death. He had paced a path into the industrial carpet long ago, much to the annoyance of the others in the waiting room; all casting venomous glances at him. The hanyou finally snarled in defeat and headed for the door labeled "Stairs" as he felt the overwhelming need to breathe un-recycled air in solitude.

He raced up the twelve flights easily; his heart rate not even increasing . . . Worry was doing a fine job of that already. He burst through the door marked "Roof Access" and sucked in a deep breath. Coughing immediately from the choking smells, he was reminded of where he was. It had been her choice, coming back here to have the baby.

It was amazing how she won out on "discussions" as she called them. As much as he would deny it to anyone, even her, he couldn't put up much of a fight when she crossed her arms, eyes flashing and cheeks flushing. She didn't do it that often, with the exception of the last few months. Anything concerning the baby was incredibly important to her, which is why InuYasha knew she'd make a fantastic mother. Plus, how could he deny her **anything** when she crossed her arms over the pup she was carrying? So here they were, in her era, where she insisted both she and the baby would be safe. And in the end all the hospitals and doctors and "modern technology" in the world might not be able to help her.

Sesshoumaru stood solemnly, a few feet behind InuYasha's left shoulder as his younger brother leaned over the railing, watching the traffic below. Keeping his distance from everyone in the sub-floors of the structure, the youkai hadn't noticed InuYasha leaving until the door shut after his red hoari. Knowing how unpredictable InuYasha could be, he had wisely followed him up the stairs. Much as he disapproved of the hanyou's choice of a mate, he couldn't fault him for being so agitated. It was Inu-Youkai instinct, any youkai's instinct for that matter, to be insanely protective of their mate. He pondered for a few silent minutes what exactly to say to the boy to get him to behave rationally.

Sesshoumaru watched as InuYasha began slashing at the metal barrier, his claws causing the steel to shriek with every swipe, turning to the concrete of the roof when he wasn't satisfied with destroying the guardrail. Should he tell him that everything would be ok? That is surely what he wanted to hear. The InuYoukai considered all courses of action as the hanyou racked up thousands of dollars in property damage. He had to say **something**. In the end he simply did what he always did, he said exactly what he was thinking.

"You still have an heir InuYasha."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he found himself suddenly pressed against the wall of the entrance to the hospital, talons wrapping around his neck. InuYasha's chest moved visibly as the growl rumbled through him, baring his fangs angrily at the demon that had spoken as if Kagome was already dead. 'Perhaps,' Thought Sesshoumaru, 'that was not the wisest choice of wording.'

"Remove yourself from me half-breed, or you will not be there to greet the human when she wakes up."

InuYasha's eyes caught the glint of gold against Sesshoumaru's ardent hair. The band on his left hand shimmered, pulsing briefly in the moonlight as if reassuring him that she was still breathing; there was still hope. Images flashed through his mind; _Kagome's smile, her flushed cheeks, the lump in his throat that refused to go away, and the white dress she wore when they publicly committed themselves to each other_. His shoulders slumped as emotions washed over him, loosening his grip on the youkai's throat.

"Her name is Kagome." He murmured, and then repeated it again, raising his voice slightly. "You'd better get used to it Sesshoumaru."

"And you should return to the waiting room, you can't sense what is taking place underground with eighty feet of concrete between you and her."

InuYasha sighed, defeated, and backed away completely, dropping his arm to his side. "I know that." He shook his head, "I just couldn't stand the smell. All blood. Blood and pain and fear. I could smell Kagome's fear."

"Did you not smell the pup?" Sesshoumaru was rather. . surprised that InuYasha hadn't bonded with the pup yet, his need to know his mate was ok was overriding his basic instincts.

InuYasha's golden orbs flickered briefly with guilt. "Yeah." He had forgotten his own son. What kind of father did that make him? Not even the monk would forget his child, and InuYasha had always secretly compared himself to Miroku.

"What does he look like InuYasha?" Anything to get the boy's mind off of 'her'.

"I haven't seen him yet, I can't.. Not until. ."

Sesshoumaru's amber-colored eyes closed briefly, the only sign of emotion he allowed himself the luxury of. Was this pity he felt for the torn being in front of him? 'Surely not.' he snorted mentally. The mere fact that he was even here was a mystery to him. How exactly had he been talked into this? He didn't even like the miko, and certainly wouldn't call her by name. 'She **was** crucial in the defeat of Naraku, doesn't that earn her at least some measure of respect?' He could almost hear that nagging voice, the one that plagued him with the thoughts and emotions of a human. How could InuYasha stand to be with one of those foolish creatures every single day?

"Go back inside InuYasha. Do not force me to carry you, I have already done so once today and I did not enjoy it in the least."

The hanyou winced as fresh memories of his tirade in the delivery room came rushing back. _Mere moments after the pup was born the strong smell of blood grew overpoweringly as Kagome's sweat-soaked body began to bleed out; turning skin flushed from exertion to a ghostly white in a matter of seconds. Her eyes fluttered around the room, locking with his before drifting closed, his name on her lips. ._

He had gone nearly insane when they began compressions, wheeling her immediately out of the room, screaming medical jargon. His last sight of her was a demon twice her size straddling her chest as he pumped her heart for her. When InuYasha become violent, Sesshoumaru had to bodily drag him away from the scene, away from the pool of fluids on the cold tile floor.

Both of the brothers jumped half a foot when an ear piercing "**_Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep_**" interrupted their trains of thought, sending their demon senses into overdrive. InuYasha reached for his Testusaiga instinctively, grabbing the first thing it found. He wielded the weapon threateningly and then froze. Instead of his father's fang, his hand grasped the pager the hospital staff had provided him with. His eyes flew open wide in realization and met Sesshoumaru's knowing look.

"Go, hanyou."

The boy practically ripped the door off it's hinges and careened down the stairs in a fraction of the time it took him to race up them, his half-brother following him as swiftly as a Youkai Lord could while retaining his dignity. He was not enjoying this experience. The precariousness of Kagome's life reminded him of how easily he could lose Rin. Not that he cared for her, or whether she lived or died, or came of age and left. He held no emotion for her whatsoever. At least that is what he told himself. He did what pleased him, and having her around pleased him. Besides, torturing and abusing his retainer got tiresome after awhile, and Rin annoyed Jakken to no end. It was a . . . satisfying arrangement. He almost allowed himself a slight smirk when he realized that there were cameras everywhere, and someone was surely watching.

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Meanwhile, a nervous young demoness in scrubs was trying to explain to the very hostile InuYasha exactly what the situation was, suddenly wishing that she weren't two floors underground with an inu hanyou blocking the only exit. The fact that the terrified girl was a neko-youkai only amplified the caged feeling, her instincts telling her to distance herself from the inu-hanyou immediately, if not sooner.

"Where.. Is.. Kagome?" He rumbled through clenched teeth.

"W. .w..well." She licked her lips. "Taisho-sama, Kagome-sama suffered massive blood loss in an extremely short period of time. I...I'm afraid that, although she is stabilized, she is in a.. very.. deep.. c-c-coma." Her eyes shut tight at this, expecting her death to be swift.

"And what the **hell** is a coma, wench?"

She relaxed almost imperceptibly as she realized he wasn't angry, or at least not angry enough to kill her. "It's a very deep sleep. It's common for the brain to slip into this type of state if the body has gone through a traumatic experience. It's a defense mechanism. However, we never know if I mean **when** one will wake up from it."

InuYasha felt some of the anxiety melt away from him at the word 'defense'. "So her body is fighting this.. whatever it is?"

The female youkai nodded briefly. "After giving her several units of blood, we got her heartbeat and oxygen levels stabilized. However you should know that the amount of time it took to revive her and restore oxygen to her brain has us slightly concerned. We are hoping that there was no permanent brain damage, but only time will tell. For now she needs to sleep and let her body recuperate." She said this all in a rush as she saw the hanyou's features twist from relief, to confusion before settling on a mix between rage and terror. The scent of his emotions caused her to be on edge and she wanted nothing more than to get away from the pain she saw in his every movement.

"You may come in and see her for a moment if you like. And when you are ready, push the yellow button of your pager and I will take you to meet your son. I wish you all the best of luck Taisho-sama. Kami be with you." She bowed slightly before scurrying away, hating having to expose her back to him in his current mood.

InuYasha's stomach roiled in response to the overwhelming aroma of the hallway. Whatever they had used to clean Kagome's blood off the floor had his senses reeling. He could still smell it, making his eyes bleed red slightly as he fought off the bliss that oblivion would bring. All he had to do was let his youkai take control and he would forget the pain for a while. At least, that's what he told himself. Deep down he knew that he had never been and would never be capable of harming or forgetting Kagome, no matter what form he took. Human, hanyou, youkai, they all shared one thing; a common love for the woman on the other side of that door.

InuYasha turned slightly, "Did you catch all that, or do I need to have it repeated for you?"

"Indeed. I heard all that I desired to know." Sesshoumaru turned swiftly and began walking toward the exit.

"Hey asshole, where are you going?" The hanyou hated the fact that he truly didn't want his elder brother to leave him. Not alone. Not with her lying in the next room.

"I have.. business to attend to in my own lands.. I shall return when I have concluded it." With that, the Lord of the Western Lands disappeared around a corner.

InuYasha cursed himself mentally for being so weak as to desire the company of a demon whom had on more than one occasion, attempted to kill the woman currently fighting for her life. _Come on idiot, just walk in there. You've seen her injured before. She's just sleeping. Just sleeping. Baka._

He sucked in a deep breath. . And pushed the door open. .

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_A/N:_ So after ten different tries I finally got this chapter to look the way I wanted it to. Geez. Please reveiw. Give me an idea of how I'm doing.


	2. InuYasha & Son

_A/N:_ Ok, so I lied. I've already made any changes that I'm going to for this chapter so I thought I'd post it. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any affiliated characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. I seek to gain nothing from the writing of this story except for enjoyment. There are numerous characters that I have created that I do claim ownership of, and ask that, if for some reason you want to use them in one of your own stories, you simply ask my permission.

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InuYasha walked towards the prone form lying on the hospital bed. 'I should have asked the wench to tell Kagome's family. . I can't explain it like she can. Kami how many tubes do they have her hooked up to?' There were tubes in her hands and arms, protruding from her nose and mouth, and wires trailing out from under the gown covering her chest. The thought that someone had been touching her there made him growl possessively. . The nurse had told him what to expect when he saw her, but he would never have been prepared for this. He hated the smell of the different demons that had had their hands all over her. 'I have spent the last 7 years protecting her from demons. . More have touched her in the last 24 hours than in all those 7 years combined.' The smells of the hospital were not quite so dominant in this room. Kagome's scent wrapped around him, slightly changed now that she carried someone else's blood in her veins, but underlying everything was the recognizable aroma of a spring rain. 

He concentrated on that as he tenderly took one frail hand in his talons, being careful not to bruise the nearly translucent skin covering it. He fought tears with sheer will power at the sight of the evil needles deep inside her. How long would she have to be like this?

InuYasha didn't know how much time had passed by him simply standing there. He felt more than heard a movement by his side just before a soft hand rested atop his head, fingers trailed down his hair and the scent of tears reached his nose. Turning, he wrapped Kagome's mother in an embrace as she cried into his haori. He swallowed, forcing the lump in his throat away as he looked at the door, dry eyed. Souta was peering through nervously, trying to work up the nerve to come inside.

The hanyou offered the boy a crooked smile as his mother-in-law, Izumi, pulled away from him, wiping her eyes. "Souta, come in dear." Her smooth voice did more to comfort both boys than anything else. "She's sleeping." At InuYasha's worried look she quickly assured him. "The nurse explained everything to us. She **will** wake up, son."

InuYasha silently blessed the nurse for her foresight, and nodded, unsure of what to say at a time like this. He hated all the emotions running through him, clouding his mind, making him numb. The silence stretched on, becoming almost awkward and painful as each tried to find words that would bring comfort the others.

"Your son is beautiful."

His head snapped up, he had forgotten his own child. "Where is he?" He could see him now, now that Kagome was alive.

"The nurse will take you there if you wish, he's in the nursery."

He looked down again at the too-white face of his mate, and once again, felt completely torn. Souta took this as his chance to do what he could to help.

"Mom, why don't you take him? I'll stay with Kags and page you if there is any change." He wanted so badly to prove his worth in a time of need, much as he hated having to see his sister in this condition.

Finding his voice again, InuYasha rasped out a "Thanks kid." and reached out to tousle the boy's hair, but stopped, knowing that would make him feel as if he were being treated as a kid. He instead rested his hand on Souta's shoulder, giving it a warm squeeze.

As the hanyou and his mother-in-law made their way down the hallway, InuYasha glanced at the door that Sesshoumaru had used to leave, wondering what had called him away from here. Sensing, as women sometimes have the ability to do, exactly what he was thinking, she spoke softly.

"I'm sure he'll be back. Perhaps he thought you would want to be alone with her."

InuYasha nodded, knowing that Sesshoumaru probably had no desire to be in the same room with Kagome. . He simply didn't care. The thought bothered him less than it should have as he reasoned that as long as his brother didn't care what happened to the girl, he no longer wished for her death.

They continued to walk in silence, both of them knowing, but purposely not saying what the other was thinking. Finally he could take it no longer, and stopped, turning to her. "Mom, what if she doesn't wake up?"

The woman that stood no taller than his shoulders seemed to shrink visibly as she sighed. Momentarily he wondered at how she could seem so much older than her when he was, in reality, more twice her age.

"That's something that we have to be prepared for, but that doesn't mean we can't hope for the best. She could wake up tomorrow, she could wake up tonight, why she could even wake up while we're visiting my grandson." Izumi continued walking and smiled. "Speaking of which, I'll bet he's getting hungry again. The nurses will show you how to feed him." At this she paused to chuckle. "He's adorable when he's eating, like he's trying to swallow the entire bottle."

InuYasha allowed hope to take root in his heart. Kagome's mother was taking this well, handling it with a quiet strength that only women possess in times like these. As long as she was ok, there was hope. Respect for the woman that raised his mate welled up in him. Pride mingled with it. He loved this family as his own.

The pair turned a final corner to face a glass wall, separating them from a room filled with bassinets. Infants of all kinds lay in snug pink or blue blankets. Most of the babies were pure blooded, and bore only demon markings and pointed ears, but one blue bundle stood out. The hanyou standing on one side of the glass stared at the hanyou laying on the other.

'Kami, he **is** beautiful.' thought the proud father.

Brown/black still-closed dog-ears peeked out from underneath a mass of white hair. One fist had escaped his soft, blue prison and lay curled and resting on the olive skin of one chubby cheek. On the tiniest thumb InuYasha had ever seen was a sharp little talon. 'We're going to have to watch those.' He thought, 'He'll gash himself wide open if he's not careful.' Lips that reminded him of Kagome's mouth pursed over and over as the little one dreamed of his next meal and his button nose held that almost invisible line down the center that all babies seemed to carry, like a seam; as if God had just finished putting him together before he was born.

The lump that formed in InuYasha's throat couldn't be swallowed away this time as a single tear escaped the corner of one golden eye. He needed to touch the pup, to bond with him, to reassure himself that he was real. That he was really a father. It was too much to believe just by seeing.

A hand slipped into his and tugged slightly, leading him to the door accessing the nursery. InuYasha tore his gaze away from his son and followed Izumi into the next room. "Taisho-sama to see Baby Taisho." She spoke up and the smiling nurse nodded and went to retrieve the infant from his bassinet.

"You're just in time to feed him, Taisho-sama, he was about to wake up and show us all how healthy his lungs are." The nurse grinned widely as he carefully placed the baby in InuYasha's hands.

The hanyou almost shook with nervousness. 'He's so tiny,' he thought to himself. 'I could break him if I'm not careful.' The male nurse helped settle the child better in InuYasha's arms and stepped back when confident that he was securely held. "I'll go get a bottle of his formula and be right back."

Kagome's mother watched as the baby began to squirm. She smiled when it became obvious that his stomach decided that it was time to wake up even if the rest of him was so comfy and warm he could sleep for a week. She said as much to her son who responded with a chuckle of his own. "Time to wake up son."

The baby's eyes opened at the sound of his father's voice, as if he had been waiting for him. InuYasha sucked in a deep breath at the sight of the chocolate orbs that stared up at him. "Kagome's eyes. He has Kagome's eyes." His hands curled around the tiny form, being careful of his claws. He could almost see his own heart flying out of his chest and landing on his son's nose as a little hand clamped on to one of his fingers.

InuYasha counted the four perfect fingers plus one little thumb and a sudden possessiveness claimed the hanyou. He felt he could take on the world if only to keep this little one safe.

Father and son studied each other for a few minutes before the tiny stomach reminded the pup of why he had had to wake up in the first place. His face twisted in irritation and a squeak made it past his lips. Grinning, InuYasha thought, 'Hey, if that's all the noise this guy's gonna make, maybe it won't be so bad after all.' Unfortunately the nurse decided to return at that moment and when the tyke caught the scent of food, his 'squeak' turned quickly to a cry that could grate the nerves of someone much more patient than our favorite hanyou.

"Ahh, just getting warmed up I see." Spoke the nurse.

InuYasha flattened his ears flush with his head in protection against the offending noise. "Warmed up? This is just getting warmed up?" As if to prove his point, the cries progressed into a lusty wail. "Kami, give me that **bottle**!" yipped the dog demon, taking it as soon as the nurse gave it a final shake. He quickly offered it to the baby, who latched onto it, glaring at his father as if he had been purposefully starving him to death.

The collective sigh from all three adults would have made anyone observing the altercation laugh silently. The only sound heard now came from the infant. Grunting, smacking, suckling and swallowing all at once, the child was easily the noisiest eater InuYasha had ever seen. When he happened to mention this to his mother, she laughed so hard she actually caused the baby to stop eating . . . for about three seconds before he resumed his meal, almost rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"He eats **exactly** like his father does."

InuYasha "Keh"-ed, pretending to be offended by her words, when in fact, he was secretly proud of passing on yet another trait to the tyke. Grinning, he ran the back of one claw gently over a downy-soft eyebrow, stroked an ear, and returned to the tiny hand. InuYasha made his way to a chair designed specifically for the purpose of feeding babies and sat down gratefully. He had been on his feet since before the hours of pacing in the waiting room.

Suddenly he remembered how tired he was. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally, he was drained. Remembering his time in the waiting room reminded him once again of his mate, hanging on to life by tubes and wires. Looking down at his son he felt pulled in half. The desire to stay here and drink in his son's scent warred against the need to be by Kagome's side in case she woke up. He sighed heavily and his head drooped. He blinked away more traitorous tears as a familiar hand rested in between his ears.

"Mom, I'm scared."

There, he had said it. He was terrified. So much that it made him sick. His fear laughed at him, taunted him, told him of everything that could go wrong, and everything that **would** go wrong. Told him he was a failure for allowing this to happen to his beloved. Told him that nothing would ever be right again. He cursed his fear for making him weak, and it cursed him right back.

"I know."

Slowly the realization hit him that the pup's eating wasn't the only sound in the room. Faintly, as if muffled under folds of fabric, came a steady "**_Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep_**."

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_A/N:_ I'm sorry these chapters aren't longer, and that they don't contain more plot, but I really felt that Kagome and the pup each deserved one chapter all to themselves. The next few chapters will have your head spinning with plot twists to keep up with. They might actually be a little confusing. Also, you might feel that they don't correspond completely with the series, and if that is a problem then I have to wonder why you are readin a fan fic. If you want something that follows the series, go read the series. 

I really feel though, that I have remained true to the characters, which is the most important thing. If you think there is too much OOC-ness, let me know. Also, Sesshoumaru is hard to write but TONS of fun!

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	3. Revolting Developments

_A/N: _Well, there was a problem with the updating, and I couldn't see my story anywhere, so I figured the best way to get my story seen is by putting up another chapter. The first two were more Prologue than anything. Now we get to the 'meat'. I like meat..

hands A-1 Steak sauce to all the readers

And now. . Chapter 3 Enjoy!

_

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Sesshoumaru breathed in deeply, savoring the clean scent in the air. That was what he hated more than anything else about Kagome's era, the filthy air. For an inuyoukai, it was sickening. The stench of smog, exhaust, industrial pollution, and millions of humans packed together like sardines clung to his form, even after having washed himself several times. It was almost crawling inside him.

Catching himself before allowing a shudder to pass through his body, he sucked in another breath. Clear skies, rolling hills covered in grass the rippled in the breeze, and another familiar calming scent reached him. Sakura blossoms wrapped around him; though the flowers had long since fallen from their branches, relaxing and irritating at the same time.

Rin walked behind her master, keeping herself a respectful three paces back. The Lord could feel as well as smell the agitation in the young girl. Something was definitely bothering her, and he was determined to discover what it was so that they could continue their stroll in peace. He slowed his strides to allow her to catch up to him, only to find that she slowed her own steps to once again match his. He stopped altogether, and was not surprised to find that she also stopped, still three paces behind him. He was, however, surprised when he realized that it _bothered_ him.

"Rin, come here." He waited for her to approach him, her eyes staring at his feet. "I demand to know what is worrying you."

The girl bit her lip, ashamed that her emotions showed so easily. She would never reach the stoic perfection of her idol at this rate.

"My lord, Jakken told me that Kagome-sama is very ill. Is this true?" His terse, "Yes." had her more afraid than if he had growled at her. If it was not as Jakken said, he would have made a comment about the 'weakling human' and how his hanyou brother 'pampered her'. "Then it is serious." She stated it more like a fact than an actual question. "What happened to her milord?"

"This Sesshoumaru does not wish to divulge any details." At her crestfallen look, he continued, not more gently, but possibly less sternly. "You are still very young Rin, it may disturb you greatly."

"Please, Lord Shesshoumaru-sama."

He blinked. She never said please, simply because she never asked him for anything. Perhaps she was older than he thought. Mentally he calculated her age. . '_Fifteen, already she has lived almost a quarter of her life span. She is a woman, by human standards._' Indeed she would be considered an adult by any standard. Her body had developed early in life, transforming almost overnight from an awkward child to a soft, feminine, graceful woman.

Her long dark brown hair was swept up into a style reminiscent of the geishas that resided in his castle. She wore no makeup though, a fact he was very grateful for. Wrapped in a silk kimono, the same color as the flowers whose scent she bore, he supposed she could be considered beautiful. A surge of pride for his ward would have hit him right about then, that is, if he felt anything at all toward her. Which of course he didn't.

Suddenly he realized she was still awaiting an answer, and spoke, choosing his words carefully.

"The human returned to her time to bear my half brother's pup. A male was born, but soon after the hanyou's mate began to bleed heavily. Her heart stopped," He paused at Rin's gasp. "The healers were able to revive it. However, it took some time and the miko's brain was without oxygen for too long. She is in a deep sleep that the healers believe she may never wake from."

Rin blinked as three tears managed to escape the corners of her eyes. "And the child?"

"This Sesshoumaru believes that the pup lives, and is healthy."

The young woman placed a hand over her heart, a pain stabbing it with every beat. Kagome-sama was the first human to show her any kindness. She remembered being afraid of her at first, as she was never around anyone but her master, but when she saw Kagome smile, all reserve melted away. She had even begun to look on her as a mother figure. And now she was 500 years in the future, dying slowly, with a child that may never know his own mother.

Rin felt a fresh onslaught of grief as she identified with the baby hanyou already. She had almost no memories of her own mother, only faintly being able to recall a smile and a song she had sung. Sometimes when she was sad, she would hum it to herself, but this was not the time for that little girl. There was only Lady Rin now.

"Do you think she will live?"

"There is no way of knowing the future Rin. Death was in the air outside her room, both InuYasha and I could smell it. The miko may very well die."

"Isn't there anything you can do milord?" Rin finally met his gaze, his features swimming in her watery eyes. Without a word exchanged she knew his answer. The all-powerful Lord of the Western Lands was completely powerless to help the woman she loved. "But if there was, anything at all, you **would** right?"

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly in a silent sigh. '_Curse humans and their emotional attachments._' "This Sesshoumaru will not speculate on events that may never come to pass."

Rin didn't take that as a yes, but it couldn't be construed as a solid no either. She would have to be satisfied with that answer for the time being. She knew by his tone that the conversation was now over, and lowered her gaze once again to the grass carpeting the hill where they had been standing.

The green blades were highlighted a brilliant orange as the setting sun painted the sky. A small smile touched her lips as she looked at the glowing orb of light. Today was ending; tomorrow held new promise. That was the way of it. She wouldn't borrow trouble. Kagome was being cared for by skilled healers and if anyone could nurse her back to health, it would be them.

"With your permission milord, I would like to return to the my quarters to ready myself for dinner." She had been trained in the proper ways of a lady of court, and one did not attend dinner in the same clothing one wore for lunch. She wasn't vain; it was simply done that way.

At his nod, she thanked him and bowed respectfully. She turned, making her way over the path, to the castle entrance. Sesshoumaru found himself watching her leave, wondering when she had stopped being the little girl that threw herself at his legs when he did something that made her happy and became the young woman who smiled warmly and simply thanked him. He wasn't sure which he disliked more. Surely the lack of physical contact was a relief, after years of feeling the judgment of others who could smell the human on him. At the same time, it made him very aware that he had changed in the eyes of his ward. She no longer saw him as a father figure, and he was unsure of her perception of him now.

Confusion irritated him; there was no denying that she had grown into an attractive woman, and he wondered how long it would be before suitors would begin to show interest in her. He could easily kill the first dozen or so, but eventually she would begin to catch on. Perhaps she would never wish to leave. Not that he wanted her to stay, she was an inconvenience to say the least, but the staff and his subjects all adored her, and he didn't feel like dealing with the annoyance of a mutiny were she to go.

Blinking he realized that he had been staring after her the entire time; her form had disappeared through the gates long ago. The sun had set, leaving only a purple glow as the stars made their appearance. The InuYoukai allowed himself a slight sigh, which ended in a snarl of self-disgust. He had allowed a human to affect him. How revolting.

* * *

Souta's white face watched the door anxiously as the doctor and nurse hovered over his older sister. Checking connections, readings, levels, their hands moved swiftly and efficiently over Kagome's body. The worried glances the nurse shot him over their patient spoke volumes to the doctor. She knew something was not quite right with the promising physician. He had just been introduced to the case an hour ago, as the shift change took place. He had been told the seriousness of her condition as he flipped through her chart, already forcing himself to disconnect emotionally from Patient #4892-TK.

"Doctor, are you alright?" The neko-youkai asked him. She had seen her share of strange things today; the human girl bearing a hanyou's child, her mother and brother in the waiting room surrounded by youkai, the strange brotherhood between two men whom obviously barely stomached the presence of the other, but this topped it all off. The confidence that the doctor normally exuded was completely gone. While completely capable of handling the case, his arrogance had disappeared, much like it had when he had handled his own wife's case. Those memories scared her and she left that train of thought quickly.

"I'm fine nurse. Watch that monitor and stop worrying about me. Do your job." A small, almost imperceptible gasp issued from the nurse letting him know that he had hurt her. He would pay for that later, but at least she would stop staring at him for a few minutes. The scents of the two females created such conflicting emotions within the doctor. _"There's no time for this here baka. Concentrate."_

He read her vitals once more. Her blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels were all satisfactory, but it had been close. The explosion at the door blew all other thoughts away. The doctor allowed himself a slight smirk before lifting his head. _"He hasn't changed a bit."_ Quickly adopting his 'aloof' expression, he lifted his head to meet the eyes of the hanyou and his mother-in-law.

"What happened?" InuYasha practically barked.

"InuYahsa!" cried Souta. "She moved! Kagome moved her hand!"

Izumi covered her mouth with her hands and looked from her sons to the still form of her daughter lying on the hospital bed. She looked so alone, even with all of them in the room. As if she were somewhere else altogether. Her eyes were drawn back to the boys as InuYasha rushed forward to take Souta by the shoulders.

"Did she open her eyes? Did she say anything? Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"InuYasha!" A voice halted his tirade. He turned and growled at the tone, glaring at the man across the room from him. The doctor recognized that look and quickly tried to amend. "Lord InuYasha, as soon as you calm yourself, I would be more than happy to tell you of your wife's new status." He returned the hanyou's gaze, then dropped it in an obvious sign of submission. The hairs at the base of InuYasha's neck settled back against his skin as the growl died in his throat.

InuYasha straightened, releasing the boy's shoulders. He sat down heavily and left one hand resting on his brother's shoulder. "I'm alright. Tell me what happened." His eyes went to her face. She didn't look any different than she had twenty minutes ago, save the shift of her right hand. Kami, had it only been twenty minutes? A second glance at the clock on the wall confirmed what he had originally thought. It had felt eternal. In fact, all perception of time had faded. She had been his entire life for the last 7 years, and now without her he was completely lost. Briefly his brain reminded him that he could lose her at any time to this unseen enemy. There was nothing he could do. So now he was lost and helpless. Great.

"Your wife did move. It wasn't a conscious movement. What I mean to say is that she didn't purposely move, she may not even be aware of her movement. However it is still a good sign. Her nervous system is still intact; her brain sent a signal, so there is brain activity. We were rather concerned that it had suffered too much time without oxygen. However, I am afraid I do not have all good news for you."

The doctor cringed inwardly at the haunted and golden orbs that pierced his. He hesitated momentarily before continuing. "We didn't call you because she moved, we called you because she went back into cardiac arrest." At the hanyou's confused look he explained.

"Her heart stopped again." InuYasha's forehead hit his hands as a shudder passed through him. The horrible words didn't stop though, and much as he wished he could shut his ears he found himself listening to every syllable. "We were able to resuscitate her very quickly this time, which tells me that she is slowly gaining strength. However, her body is very weak, and though her pulse is strong enough, I fear that her heart may very well fail if she doesn't wake up soon. Next time we may not be able to get her back."

Nobody could miss the worry in the doctor's voice and it was almost InuYasha's undoing. He curled into himself, digging his talons into the hair at the base of his skull, grabbing handfuls of the white silk, clutching tightly as if they alone would keep him from breaking. He fought for breath through the dry sobs that wracked him, and felt an unfamiliar touch at his shoulder. It shook him enough to bring him back. His right hand moved in a blur, clutching that of the one resting on him, not caring whom it was. He was glad it wasn't his mother or brother, if they had touched him he would have lost it completely.

He took a minute to collect himself, reminding himself that the doctor had said Kagome was gaining strength. There was hope then. He could always hope. His thoughts returned to the hand he was squeezing the life out of. He relaxed his grip when he realized it was female, and that he was probably hurting her. The fingers slipped from his and he opened his eyes, straightening slowly looking for the owner. He blinked, _"The neko?"_ Yes. . And she looked just as shocked as he was. For that matter, so did everyone else in the room, save the sleeping miko.

"Nurse Watanabe, please go and get housing forms for Lord Inuyasha and his family to sign." The neko fled, obviously glad for the excuse to leave the room. The doctor followed her with his eyes only. He would certainly have a few words with her later about **that**.

Turning back to the family he spoke again. "I am sorry to have to tell you this so soon after the birth of your son, milord, but I felt it was necessary. I also need to tell you that Kagome-san's body temperature is low, and we have placed warming blankets on her bed to keep her comfortable. And we have upped her fluids, to counteract some mild dehydration."

The fact that Dr. . _"What is his name?"_ kept calling InuYasha a lord was starting to get on his nerves, but he didn't have the time nor the energy to care enough about it. At least not enough to do anything more than get pissed off by it. Hell, he was already hurt, scared, lost, helpless, lonely, and confused. Why not add pissed to the mix and see what happened? The hanyou allowed himself a tiny smirk as he got a mental image of the doctor mixing emotions in one of those glass 'beakers' Kagome told him about. Like a 'mad scientist'. He hoped he was prepared for an explosion.

"The nurse is retrieving housing orders for you and your family. We have rooms deeper underground, for the purpose of accommodating the relatives of our patients. We will be assigning you a small suite. When I say small I mean that it is simply two bedrooms with a bathroom adjoining. We will have meals for your mother and brother-in-law in the cafeteria upstairs. One for their kind. I'm afraid we don't have much in the way of meals down here."

Izumi smiled and spoke in that soothing tone of hers. "I'll just bring him some ramen. He'll be fine doctor. I would like to thank you for your concern, and if there is anything else, we will be sure to contact you, however I know my son would appreciate some privacy right now.. If you don't mind that is."

He returned the smile and bowed gracefully. "Of course ma'am. I understand completely. There is not much we can do now except wait, and talk to her. Brain activity indicates that she may very well be able to hear us now, and we have seen remarkable recoveries in patients whose loved ones spoke to them often. Oh, and my name is Dr. Isamu." With that he turned and left.

* * *

Kagome's breath began to come in rasps as she screamed for Inuyasha, screamed until she was hoarse. She was in the middle of a desert. It glowed white in the moonlight, and was horribly foreboding. Nothing but sand as far as she could see. She had been stumbling around this freezing darkness for hours and couldn't find a trace of anyone that she knew. She was tired and confused and alone. The thought that her swollen belly was noticeably less swollen had not escaped her, and fear for her child gripped her. It clawed its way through her stomach, curling around her spine, her heart, her throat, choking back the screams that wanted to tear through her. She gasped for air and fell to her hands and knees on the luminous sand.

She forced herself to calm down, to steady her breathing, to think rationally. She tried concentrating on her miko chi, knowing that if she could give off a pulse of purification, he would sense it and find her. It took her a moment to realize that her powers were gone. Completely and totally gone; not just drained. She was helpless. Helpless and tired and confused and alone, she began to shiver. InuYasha had to find her; she was so cold. She heard her name on the wind and whirled around to see where it came from. The only thing she saw was the moon.

_A/N_: Well there it is, the third installment. Hopefully you like it!


	4. How Much Longer?

_A/N:_ Man I'm tired. I worked 13 hours today and came home completely wiped. Then, instead of going ot bed like any smart girl would do, I watched Hot Shots, and worked on this chapter. It's still not what I wanted it to be. And it seems a little forced to me, but I decided that a good update now is better than a great update in another 2 weeks. Anyway, this is going on too long, sorry.

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own InuYasha. I do own the characters that are not originally in the manga.

* * *

Bloodshot eyes blinked; or rather they would have if they had the energy. Instead the reddened orbs closed slowly, rested, and faced reality once again by opening painfully. The hanyou heaved a breath that could have been mistaken for a sigh, and was actually intended to be a sigh, but lost motivation halfway through.

The beating of his heart, the beeping of the monitor reading Kagome's own, the respirator, the voice on the PA. . They had all combined into a rhythm; a pulsing, throbbing, monotony that was driving him mad. The clock had added it's own chorus to the fray, until he shredded it days ago. It had been so arrogant, triumphantly ticking away time. Like it was proud of each second it stole from him, from her life. The nurse had come into the room only moments after his little tantrum, and had wisely said nothing about the 8-inch hole in the wall.

At first he had growled at every one of them, ever protective of his mate. He didn't like all the traffic, all the different smells. It set off his instinctive nature like no other, and soon the only nurse brave enough to enter the room was the neko. He still greeted even her with hostility for the first week, now he barely even acknowledged her presence.

InuYasha looked up as she entered again, looked back down at the hand he was holding, and moved his feet out of the way as she hovered around the bed, checking readings, I.V. bags, and dosages. He could do it himself, and quite often did, just to pass the time. What time **was** it? It didn't really matter, and he didn't really care. There was no time down here. Night or day, day or night, they all passed by just as slowly as the last. But he had to know.

"What time is it?" His voice was so pitiful it made **her** tired. Kami, when was the last time he had slept. Or eaten for that matter. She checked her watch.

"3am. When is Higurashi-sama coming to visit?" She knew his mother tried at least three times a day to get him to go to bed, eat some food, take a **shower**.

"In a few more hours."

She nodded, knowing the conversation was over, and left. After the door closed behind her the symphony returned, and he sighed wholeheartedly this time. Rubbing a rough hand over his numb face he rested his head on the mattress, his cheek brushing her fingers. What was happening to her?

Her skin is cherry red, not the bloodless pale that it was before. She was sunburned, but how? She had a fever so high that shivers wracked her body. Her feet were covered with angry blisters, red and open and seeping. Her lips were cracked, dry and bleeding though he had often tenderly rubbed an ointment onto them, and she was so dehydrated. They were pumping her full of fluids until they were in danger of giving her pneumonia, yet her electrolytes were still so low. Nobody could discover what was ailing the poor woman, and most thought she wouldn't last another 2 weeks. He wanted so badly to gather her in his arms, to brush her hair away from her face, but he was afraid to hurt her, she looked to be in enough pain already. He could barely watch as they dressed the wounds on her feet.

He had thought of asking Sesshoumaru for the Shikon no Tama back. It had been given to him when Kagome's time drew near, as safekeeping, and it allowed him to travel through the Bone Eater's Well. InuYasha had been wary of leaving it in his half brother's care, but Kagome won that 'discussion' as well. There was none stronger than Sesshoumaru, unless of course it be her husband. The hanyou had "_Keh'd_" appropriately and tossed it to the demon lord, who was currently glaring at the moon, and caught it with one deft movement of his right arm.

With Naraku dead, no lesser youkai posed a real threat to the jewel, and most of the titans and ancients were either extinct or uninterested in the power of the jewel of four souls. But, InuYasha didn't know what would happen if he gave Kagome the now completed sphere, and if Sesshoumaru brought it, how would he return to the feudal era. And if InuYasha met Sesshoumaru in the feudal era and simply brought the jewel back, that would mean leaving Kagome. He hadn't done it yet and he didn't plan to.

How long had he stayed by her side? He lifted his head long enough to count the scratches on the arm of his chair. Ahh yes. . Weariness set back in and he laid his head down mere inches from her hand. Twenty-four days. .

"It's been almost a month Kagome. Haven't you slept long enough yet? You're supposed to be taking care of your new family, not the other way around. Speaking of which," his breath warmed her fingers, "our son is growing. He's gained 2 ½ pounds and 3 inches already. Oh and he's making noises. Well besides the crying I mean. When people talk to him he just stares at their lips. . Like he's trying to learn the trick. His face twists and his mouth moves and he squeaks. Just squeaks. But he's so proud of himself when he does it you can't help but laugh. He's laughing too. Next time I see him I'll record it for you." He chuckled. "It's adorable."

"He really misses you. He knows there's something missing Kagome. We all do. You can come back to us. I know you can. You're strong enough now. You've been sleeping long enough. Kagome. ." His eyes drifted closed as his breathing slowed to match her own. Behind closed lids images flashed through his mind. Kagome laughing with Shippo on her lap; her hair blowing in the wind as she stood poised with her bow and arrow; crying over his slumped form when Menomaru forced her to shoot him with one of her own arrows. These visions haunted him. InuYasha conjured up more images; more comforting ones.

* * *

_Kagome lay with her head in his lap, her fingers forming a web of protection over their unborn child. They sat at the crest of their favorite hill. The one that seemed to drop away before them, leaving nothing to hinder their view of the stars. His talons expertly skimmed through his wife's hair, allowing the silkiness of it to flow between his fingers like liquid. He stilled his hands as he felt and heard Kagome sigh and shift her weight._

"_Kagome?"_

"_Hmmm?" The voice was sleepy. One corner of his mouth lifted in a sort of smirk, allowing a fang to peek out. He knew that if he didn't get her to bed soon, he would be carrying her there. _

"_Are you ok?" She was less and less able to sit or lay in one position for a prolonged period of time. The baby was becoming cumbersome._

"_My back is a little sore, and Naomi seems restless today." She smiled to herself, knowing that would get his attention._

"_Naomi! Naomi isn't a very good name for a boy."_

_Kagome chuckled, wincing slightly as her taut stomach refused to move. "That's because Naomi isn't a boy, koi."_

_InuYasha grunted. "He'd better be. No daughter of mine is going to wear all the clothes I picked out for Daiki."_

"_Who's Daiki?"_

"_The pup silly!"_

_Silence. . ."We never talked about that name." Her fingers absently stroked the child's hiding place._

"_No, but I like it." He wanted her to like this name._

"_Why?" She wasn't questioning the name, he'd just never shown this much interest in any given one._

"_It stands for the beginning."_

"_Yash, Daiki means great tree. . ."_

"_Exactly, which is where all of this began." He said no more on it, leaving her to her own thoughts. Several minutes passed and the moon began to rise. If his hearing hadn't been so acute, he would have thought she had fallen asleep._

"_I really think this one's a girl."_

"_Well, after Naomi is born, we'll just have to give her a little brother, and we can name him Daiki." He announced, though he knew the child was a boy. He could scent him._

_

* * *

_

InuYasha couldn't bring himself to remember what happened next, the memory soon joining with a thousand others that crashed and merged, forming dreams that tumbled through his tired mind. He slept.

* * *

Izumi entered the room, still blinking away the remnants of her sleep. "_I could have used about 4 more hours of that._" she thought to herself as she looked around the room. A smile lifted one corner of her mouth as she saw the still gaping hole in the wall where that self-righteous clock had been. Then she caught sight of her children.

InuYasha was dead to the world. Not even his ears moved at her sound. She had never seen her son-in-law this tired. It was difficult to tell how he was handling this. The fact that he hadn't killed the entire staff was a positive sign, but she was worried about him. Sighing, she laid a hand on his shoulder and shook him very gently. When he stirred she spoke softly.

"Son, go to your room and get some real sleep. Eat some ramen; take a bath. You'll feel better afterwards."

"I'm ok mom.." the hanyou stretched slowly. "I fell asleep?"

"Yeah, but you need more." He opened his mouth to protest once again. "And don't tell me you're fine, I've heard that one already. If you can't stand up straight and can't form a coherent thought how are you going to take care of my grandson while his mother is resting?"

"Resting? Is that what this is? Keh. Could've fooled me. Lazy wench is probably laughing to herself as we speak."

"I have never allowed you to speak to my daughter in that tone while in my presence and I do not intend to start now InuYasha. She **can** hear you."

"I know she can. I just don't think I can stand anymore. Three and a half weeks mom, and no change yet. Not even a finger wiggle, or an eyebrow crease. I'd take a dozen osuwari's over this. In a heartbeat."

"InuYasha, she'll know when she's ready to wake up. In the meantime, you have family here to support you and your son. Go to sleep. Souta will be here soon and he will sit with me. Your brother also promised to visit today. He's been pretty good about not threatening us while you are gone."

InuYasha shook his head. "I still can't believe he's been here so often asking about her. If I didn't know any better I'd think he actually cared what happened to Kagome." He snorted. "Now there's a sure sign I'm sleep deprived."

"Who knows InuYasha? He hasn't done any harm, so I'm not going to judge him based on what you and Kagome used to tell me about him. He seems different."

"I just wish I knew what he was up to." This statement ended on a huge yawn that Izumi could have called cat-like, but decided against it. The boy was never too tired for an argument, but she was.

"You can worry about it later. Right now you need to go to bed. One of us will come and get you if there is any change." He had already started on a really pitiful "But mom" when she gave him a helping hand that felt a lot closer to a firm shove. "Go!"

InuYasha looked from his wife, to his mother-in-law, both of which he had learned to fear and obey at times. This was definitely one of those times. He sighed and plodded out the door, keeping his knees from buckling by sheer will power. He actually had to have one of the staff lead him to his rooms, since he had only been there two other times in the last month.

When he finally arrived, he couldn't believe how exhausted he was. He loosened his fire-rat haori and let it fall to the floor in a heap at the foot of the bed before falling face first into the soft mattress. He wasn't asleep before his head hit the pillow, but he certainly didn't remember doing it.

* * *

Kagome wandered the desert with one goal. Find the owner of the voice that was pulling at her, and kill it. Well, maybe she should survive too. Yes, Kagome wandered the desert with two goals. Kill and survive. And bathe.

Her chocolate eyes searched wearily for shade, shelter, anywhere. The sun had been up four hours now, the time for travel long since passed, the angry orb in the sky beat down relentlessly on the young woman, baking her in an oven of sand. She had been wandering for days and days. She counted them at first, then lost track after fourteen, or was it sixteen? The desert stretched on as far as the eye could see.

She needed rest. But the miko couldn't just fall over and let sleep claim her, though every muscle and joint in her body cried out for it. She felt as if the sand that was killing her was inside her now. When had she last found water? Why had she left it? All she knew was that she was following a voice, and when she found its owner, she was going to kill it. Him. Her. Whomever.

Then she was going to drink a lake, and then find another lake and take a bath in it for a week. She was so weak. She had stopped sweating so long ago yet she was still alive. Like the hive buzzing in her head. She wished they would stop that. It was getting hard to count sand dunes with all that racket. This was torture. She had begun to despair days ago, and consequently cried bitterly as she woke one cold evening. Now she could kick herself for the waste of precious moisture.

Kagome gave up on counting sand dunes and simply counted footsteps. Every time a heavy foot hit the ground in front of her she counted it, and concentrated on lifting her back leg to place the next foot somewhere near the last one. She usually got it right, and even managed to put them in front of each other, though at times she staggered sideways in an attempt to keep her balance. It was taking her hours just to climb one dune, and hours still to get down the other side.

She was no doctor, but she knew she had been without food and water for far too long to actually survive this. Something was keeping her alive, tormenting and trying to defeat her. Once, she had fallen down, her side crashing into the unforgiving sand. She resigned herself to a lonely scorching death, and waited. And waited. An entire day passed and she was no less alive than when the sun had been on the other side of the sky. Finally resigned to the fact that the only way to end this was to finish it, she struggled to a crawling position, and resumed her upward climb.

She had long ago quit using her voice. It sounded as if she had gargled the sand carried by the wind, which whipped her in the face and legs, stinging horribly. Her feet hurt so badly that she tried going insane, just so she could convince herself that they were gone, or that she couldn't feel them. After all, the pain had her half-mad already. And if she were crazy she could think of much more gruesome things to do to the voice. It never left her alone, always calling, always whispering in her ear. She would have chalked it up to her overactive imagination, but she had heard it before the heat got to her. . . Hadn't she?

* * *

Torches illuminated the vast halls that snaked their way through the mountain she called home. Flames licked away at the shadows, dancing slightly in the breeze emanating from the ventilation shafts bored eons ago. The network of caverns and passages had taken centuries to carve, even using the already existing caves. Stalactites hundreds of feet long were the chandeliers, their mineral rich moisture reflecting the firelight like so many diamonds.

The demoness sat tall on her throne in the Great Hall. Tapestries adorned the walls on either side of her; skilled weavers had depicted her family history long ago using their craft. Murals of their greatest heroes, victorious in battle and gleaming in the sunlight surrounded her on either side. _Sunlight. Someday my entire clan wil rejoin the world, and I will remember the feeling of waking up with the sun._ Sora had felt honored to be the one charged with bringing the women and children to this fortress, yet she was reluctant to leave her lord's side on the eve of battle.

He had laughed at her anxiousness, boasting that his enemy was weak and therefore unworthy of life, that he would exterminate the vermin swiftly. But that still left their women undefended. "Sukini, keep them safe. You are protected here, but not invincible." He spoke to her in a voice that seemed too gravelly to form words. It reverberated off of the cave walls, echoing loud enough to be heard by all, unfortunately. She had expressed her distaste for the pet name he had given her many times, not that it did any good. Her brother did what he pleased. It mattered not to him that she hadn't been 'skinny' in over two hundred years.

He had left with the promise of a swift return. Days had passed, which turned into weeks. By the third month she had surpassed worry. It was only a matter of time before she gave up hope, every year, every decade that went by with no sign of survivors hardened her soft demeanor, wrapping walls of granite around her very soul until a haughty indifference consumed her. This place was hers now; these people were hers. She had rallied the women, promising vengeance, cautioning them that it would take patience.

"An army capable of destroying all of our men is nothing to scoff at. We have all had multiple children; some of them are nearly grown. If you allow me to train you in all the arts of war, then when you are ready we will train our children. And we will rise up with four times the number of our fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons, and we will crush our enemy. The world may think us weak, but we will show them a new kind of fury."

The children had grown, raised fatherless, and were ruthlessly trained to be warriors long before their time. The only 'real' children in their race were the product of those men too weak or old to go to war, thereby making their offspring unfit for war. The young males that had grown into adulthood were too busy being soldiers to take mates. No weakness was allowed. . Not when there was a mission to complete.

She had lain in wait, biding her time, cultivating her army, and now she would have revenge.

Sora turned her azure gaze to the lone figure approaching her. It was Takeshi, her general. Only 200 years old, he appeared 14 to the human eye, yet as his name indicated, he was bravery itself. The thin but strong frame bent in reverence to his queen.

"My Lady, an informant has returned." After sensing the shift of her weight, he knew she had acknowledged his presence. Only then did he lift his eyes to meet her icy stare.

"General, what is your report?"

"Your enemy has disappeared milady, he has abandoned his lands completely. No reason is known as of yet."

"Who discovered this?"

"One of the older ones, I have already dispatched her to the western border." At this he gave a rueful smile. "Tongues wag more willingly in the mining camps when there is an attractive female to encourage them."

Yes, the females were by far her best spies. Cunning and untrusting, the demon queen would much rather have made her entire army of women. But men were necessary, for their strength and ability to think on their feet, as well as their instinct to protect the women of the clan. She smirked. They were so easily played.

"Where is Amaya?"

"She is on assignment, as per your orders milady." The young demon's voice held slight distaste. "She is expected to return before dusk."

Despite rather "insistent" offers of the rank of general, Amaya preferred to captain the 'requisitions' task force. Specializing in stealth and invisibility, they were the eyes and ears of their queen. Amaya's only regret was that she was forced to answer to 'the runt' as she called him in her private thoughts. She was almost seventy years older than her "fearless leader" and hated taking orders from anyone younger than herself.

Only Amaya and Takeshi knew of this, and if any of her team failed to show the proper respect to the Queen's right hand, the consequences were dire. Amaya knew his strength of spirit, his absolute resolve for the cause, and if anyone could see it through to completion, it would be him. Takeshi respected her ability to respect his. He didn't want the queen to know of their tentative alliance however, and he acted disgusted by the very thought of Amaya at every turn. As committed as he was to the cause, he didn't fully trust the demoness that held the fate of their entire race between her thumb and forefinger.

His thoughts retuned to the pensive queen before him. _What is she thinking? Surely she will not order an attack without more information. Although the possibility of a trap is remote, since our enemy does not know the threat we pose, one should never make a decision without first gathering all the facts._

"Call in the reserves, begin battle drills, I want to be ready. . . this may be our chance." Her army had been growing. She paused a moment to smile at the irony of that statement. Growing in size, intelligence, strength, and stature. Yes stature. Soon they would be big enough, old enough, to carry out her plans.

The boy/general bowed his head, a tiny stab of dread in his gut. Her voice sounded so determined. She had waited so long already, and though he wanted nothing more than to seek revenge for the deaths of all their fathers, if they went recklessly, all would be lost. They just needed another decade or so. But it wasn't to be, he would have to send them as they were, and beg forgiveness from all mothers who were left childless as a result. It might even mean his death. Yet it was as Sora-sama commanded.

"Yes, my Queen."

* * *

_A/N:_ Well, there you go! Let me know how you like it.  



	5. New Friends and Old Flames

_A/N: _Second chapter in 2 days! W00t. Not that it's going to happen like that often. I got this burst of inspiration from KOLU and couldn't wait to put the finished product up. I love this chapter. Some of my favorite characters make an appearance. Enjoy!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own InuYasha or any characters created by the esteemed Rumiko Takahashi. Her genius amazes me.

* * *

Kagome reached the top of a sand dune, her sixth for the day, or maybe it was her seventh, heck it could have been her fourth for all she knew. They all looked exactly the same and time had long since ceased to exist for her.

Suddenly the miko tilted her head.

"_Well, that's certainly different. . . How did that palace get there?"_

It was glorious, tall parapets tapering into graceful points high in the sky. It's gleaming exterior could have been fashioned from pure ivory. No walls shielded it from the world outside, in fact it seemed completely unaffected by the sand and scorching heat; surrounded as it was by pools of clear water, palm trees, flowers, birds, and gorgeous women.

"_Wait. . what?"_

She did a double take. Yes, there was a woman walking her way. She stood there in a daze as the figure approached, almost reaching the miko before she snapped out of her trance. She still stared openly at the approaching woman, but this time the stare held menace.

Kagome glared at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was tall, nearly 6 feet from head to toe, and she was radiant. Her form curved in all the right places, flattened in all the right places, and had that perfect balance between femininity and strength. The miko would have growled if she could have, but instead contented herself with glowering in awe. She even had perfect toes. Toes nestled in golden sandals that clasped to the woman's calves with intertwining ribbons. Kagome's gaze traveled up the form to rest on the most startling green eyes she had ever seen, but they weren't completely green, at times, orange fire flashed behind the olive orbs, and they were rimmed with coal. These eyes held passion, knowledge, wisdom, empathy, danger, and safety. Her cheekbones were high set, giving her face a slim, heart shaped appearance.

Olive skin reflected the sun, as it seemed to hold a spotlight over her. Her shoulders and arms were bare, save the golden serpent wrapped around her left bicep, her long neck was also void of cloth, a matching viper draped around it, it's golden head and tail twining around themselves, resting in the hollow of her throat. In his mouth the snake held the single piece of white linen that she wore. It wrapped around her back, leaving it bare to her waist. The garment looped around her frame several times, fastened with a golden clasp in the shape of the sun. The robe ended at different lengths, no higher than her knee, no lower than her calf. A golden tiara of tangled olive branches held her dark hair in a semblance of order. The chocolate silk glowed fire red in the sunlight and the wind from the desert lifted it, and caressed a smooth cheek. The blood red lips parted, and spoke.

"Kagome." Yes, it was that voice. The one that had beckoned her. How she hated that voice. Kagome whimpered, the first sound she had made in weeks, and went to her knees on the burning sand. She pitched forward, her body seeking rest now that she knew she had arrived. She mentally braced herself for the impact of her face hitting the dune, but it never came. Strength wrapped around her, as did a cooling sensation. Water met her lips and she was allowed only a small swallow before she passed out. "I will carry you." was the last thing she heard.

* * *

"**Where is he!** **FIND HIM!**" Roared the queen, anger radiating from her in waves that threatened to swallow Amaya whole.

"How can you _possibly_ lose someone of his power? I don't care what you have to do, whom you have to bribe or manipulate. He _has_ to have enemies other than myself. Find _them_! Get me information! How can we exact revenge for the deaths of our race if. **We. Can't. Find. Him?** Do you even care that their kind slaughtered every one of your fathers? Your king?"

"My Queen, allow me to. ."

"Silence! This is beyond unacceptable. Do not be so _arrogant_ as to suppose that your position is secure. If you fail me you. will. be. replaced. ." It was no empty threat, Amaya knew she would kill her without a second thought.

The heat of rage faded in the silence, to be replaced by a cold, collected fury. It was the ruthlessness that most feared, and all respected. "Failure is the same as treason in my eyes, Captain. . Remember that when you are out there, and remind yourself of that before you come back."

"Yes my Queen."

"Leave me." Spat the enraged demoness.

"Yes, my Queen." Amaya stood slowly, head still bowed, and walked backwards until she was well out of range, then turned and left, defeated. Despite feeling like a failure, she couldn't help but notice that she had managed to escape Sora-sama's wrath rather unscathed. What was she going to tell her force?

The queen watched the retreating figure of her best spy, schooling her features as soon as she disappeared around the corner. A dark form stepped into the light of the flames, the light passing through him without illuminating his features.

"Do you think they suspect anything?" She asked of the moving shadow.

"Amaya may be intelligent, but she cannot read minds Sora, and so far you have managed not to slip up. As long as they all think there is a reason for revenge, you have their allegiance."

"There **is** a reason for revenge!"

"Yes, but it is not their cause. It is yours." The figure smirked. He knew that she felt no remorse for deceiving her entire race. She was shrewd, but she was also weak. She was so easily played.

* * *

Amaya cursed inwardly. Where else was there to look? Nobody was talking. Her networks of spies, ones that she herself had trained, were at a loss. It was as if the enemy simply vanished.

She navigated the tunnels expertly; she could have walked this particular route in her sleep. Coming up on a familiar door, she hesitated. Should she appear sympathetic, understanding? Should she transfer some of the queen's wrath upon them? They weren't your average children, and one could never know how they would react. Whatever she decided to go with, she had to stick with it, the moment she wavered, they would destroy her.

She wrenched the door open and stormed in. Forty pairs of eyes turned to her. Her second in command barked out, "Captain present!" And instantly, like little dogs, all forty tiny bodies snapped to attention, forming 2 lines along the rows of futons in the narrow room. Walking through them she was still formulating her plan, her mind working furiously. Her silence seemed to be doing more for her at the moment, judging by the fact that some of the younger soldiers were fidgeting. Some of these were only 150 years old, appearing to the human eye to be about 9 or 10. But they were the best the army had to offer when it came to silent operations. They were lethal at short distances, and could walk past a nervous cat at 6 feet and not catch it's attention. They were shadows when they needed to be. And now she needed to break them down again, and build them up. . Again. How much longer could they stand this? How much longer could she?

* * *

Kagome's eyes fluttered open again just like all the other times, only this time they stayed open, half-lidded against the invading light. It wasn't harsh light, but it resonated off of everything around her. She decided to try moving her head and although it hurt, she was pleased to find that it was no longer excruciating. Kagome looked around the room she was in; rich warm colors of red, gold, bronze and brown enveloping her. Even the luxurious bed she was resting in was wrapped in the colors of red and gold. She was tempted to sit up, but decided to take a mental inventory first, wiggling each body part and noting it's current condition.

Her toes hurt horribly, as did her feet, but she would have been surprised if they hadn't. The blisters were healing, wrapped in strips of cloth, and no longer seeped. Her legs were sore, but not injured. They were simply recovering from weeks of wandering and malnutrition followed by days of non-use. Her back was stiff from lying in the same position for so long, and she stretched it as much as possible without moving too much. Her arms were bandaged much like her feet. She supposed that blisters had formed there as well, from sunburn. Her head pounded mercilessly, but she had had headaches before, and Kagome decided to sit up.

It took more effort than she thought it would and after battling the dizziness and nausea set on by the hammers pounding inside her skull, she was sitting, completely exhausted again. She coughed, her throat so raw she thought for sure there would be blood on her hand, pulling it away to see that there was blood, but evidently it was from her lips. They were so chapped and split that if her tongue were moist enough it would have been too painful to wet them. Suddenly she realized what seemed even more wrong than her surroundings, worse than her physical condition. How could she possibly have forgotten!

"_My baby! Where is my baby?"_ Her womb was whole, yet she remembered giving birth, her stomach flat, though she knew it had been so cumbersome only weeks ago. She began to panic, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She looked around frantically for someone who could help her. She didn't have to wait long. One of the windows, wait no, doors, led to a balcony outside, and suddenly a silhouette appeared. It was the beautiful woman again. The voice. It spoke.

"You are awake."

Kagome only nodded her head, too hoarse to speak. The exotic woman brought her a goblet filled with sparklingly clear water. She stood back watching Kagome as she sipped it gingerly at first, being careful of her sensitive lips.

"Drink it slowly, let it soak into your mouth and throat until they are cool, then swallow. I can't have you sick."

Kagome took her time with the liquid, fighting the urge to down it and ask for more. She looked the woman standing before her square in the eyes.

"Where.. Is.. My.. Baby?" She rasped. "Where is my child? And where is InuYasha? What have you done with them?"

"Calm yourself, I assure you all is well. Your son grows strong; your hanyou, on the other hand, grows impatient. You're entire family is gathered, waiting for your return."

But Kagome was still processing her first words. "My son?" So InuYasha had been right all along. She should have known. "I want to see him." She thought for a moment. "Don't get me wrong I appreciate the help, but I need to go to them **now.**"

"You can't get there from here. . Not like that."

"What do you mean, "like that"? What's wrong with me?" She was, like her hanyou, beginning to grow impatient.

"You are too weak." Seeing the protest forming on the girl's face she raised her hand for silence. "Not in the physical sense Kagome. Your miko powers are not nearly strong enough for the trials to come."

Kagome hissed, getting pissed now. "How do you know about my miko powers? In fact, how is it that you know my name, or anything about my son and husband?" When her questions were met with silence she snapped. "**Tell me!**" She doubled over, the force of her words sending her into a paroxysm of coughing. Loose hairs fell around her face and shoulders, and she noted for the first time that it was clean. It had been washed, combed, and braided. People never took such care of prisoners, or enemies.

Kagome looked up at the woman with pleading eyes. "Please tell me what is going on." She began to cry. Deep, rasping sobs that shook her frame. Her body had been through so much; had been forced to subdue emotions for the sake of survival. Now she could finally release all the fear, anger, loneliness, and worry. As she did so, she felt her miko powers return to her, as if they too were waiting for her. They comforted her, as did the strange woman embracing her. She felt a small hand rubbing her aching back in circles as her head was pulled to a soft shoulder. Kagome openly accepted and returned the embrace, crying all the harder. They stayed like that until the worst of it had passed.

The kind woman pulled away, smiling encouragingly. She used the pad of one thumb to wipe away the remaining tears on the girl's cheeks. "Now," she spoke softly, "Would you like to get something to eat while I tell you why you are here?"

Kagome sniffed. "I'd rather know your name first."

The woman laughed, Kagome looked so pathetic right then, like a bedraggled kitten. Her maternal instincts were in high gear to say the least. "I completely forgot. My name is Savitri."

* * *

"Your wife is improving." The doctor didn't insult anyone by saying it as if he was the only one who could tell. Her fever was receding, her blisters healing, and her body was retaining the fluids they were feeding her. Soon they would be able to decrease the drip rate. 

"We still don't have a name or reason for what she was suffering from. I've consulted all the best minds in demon, hanyou, and human medicine." Isamu was honestly quite stumped, and worried. This woman meant so much to him and his people, and he had had to watch her suffer while he stood there completely helpless. His hundreds of years of medical training hadn't been able to help her. He had barely been able to keep her alive. He needed her to live. Everything depended on it.

"If she continues at this rate, her body will be fully healed in a little over a week. However, there is no telling if this will affect her comatose state. She may wake up, she may not."

Izumi voiced the question that she had been afraid to up until this point. "Doctor, do you believe she will wake up?" She saw the professionalism mar his features. "No doctor, not in your medical opinion. . . You yourself, do you believe she will recover fully.?"

InuYasha's ears perked at this, and everyone in the room; Nurse Watanabe, Souta, Sesshoumaru, even Kagome, who's breathing hitched at the question, seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"Ma'am, if anyone can pull through what I've seen this young woman endure, it will be a miracle. But she seems to have a stamina I've not seen in a human before, I believe she will wake up."

Suddenly a dead silence permeated the room. Even Izumi and Souta felt it. The silence changed to a hiss, a sound that emanated from every demon in the room. A pulsation, like the single beat of a heart, shook them all. InuYasha jerked his hand away from Kagome's as though he had been burned. Izumi felt the hairs on her arms and neck stand at attention as the strange yet comforting aura flowed through her. It was almost tangible, like a ripple. And it's center, the 'pebble in the pond' was her daughter.

All eyes turned toward the red skinned woman, waiting to see what would happen next.

There was nothing. No change, no movement. Just a single pulse and the steady rise and fall of the ventilator in chorus with the _beep_ of the heart monitor.

Souta was the first to speak. "What the hell was that?"

Sesshoumaru and InuYasha shared a brief glance before the eldest brother replied. "The miko's powers have returned."

What do you mean returned? What happened to them?" Souta asked, a little too forcefully.

InuYasha placed a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. "When Kagome became pregnant, her miko powers, I guess you could say they went to sleep. They became dor-mant." Using the word Kagome had used. "It's too risky to use them when carrying a baby. Since most priestesses never became mothers, there was no telling what the effect would be. But after the baby was born, Kagome's powers should have awoken, helping her to heal."

"Why didn't they InuYasha?" Izumi asked. If only her powers had stirred weeks ago, they could be having this conversation with her daughter instead of about her.

"I don't know mom, but they weren't still sleeping. The entire time Kagome has been in this coma, I wasn't able to sense them at all. As if they were completely gone."

"It is true that her returned powers will enable her to heal more quickly, but what will be done if they begin to pulse any stronger than what we have just seen? We are in the demon wing of a hospital." It was Sesshoumaru's question.

Dr. Isamu nodded his head, "We can't very well have her purifying our patients. We can however, move her to a new room and place barriers around it. This will contain her powers in the room itself, allowing her to use them to heal, without harming anyone else."

"I'll go prepare a room immediately Doctor." The efficient nurse spun on her heel and left the room, already formulating her plan. _Isamu has told me how important she is, and how we all need her, but he's holding something back. He always has. But if I am ever going to fully trust him, it has to be now._

The doctor excused himself for a moment and went after her, his long strides closing the distance between them effortlessly. "Emi." He stopped her with his voice and his hands. Isamu pulled her into a room off the main corridor. His blue eyes pierced her red ones with an intensity that still shocked her at times.

"Is something the matter doctor?" She asked of him, looking around the small room for any spectators. Finding the room clear, she looked back into those twin oceans. His gaze faltered, as if he knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say. "Isamu what is it?" She placed a small hand on his arm.

"Emi, after you prepare that room, I don't want you anywhere near this case."

She blinked. . Was she that incompetent? Hadn't they been preparing for this for decades? Since she had known him? "I-I don't understand." There was hurt and confusion in her eyes.

"Let one of the other nurses handle it, or we'll train Kagome's mother in how to care for her, but I don't want you in that room. Not with the powers she is soon to be giving off. Remember what I told you from before. Even the spells won't hold all of it in."

Emi sucked in a breath. She had forgotten that part. She still had a hard time believing all of this. It seemed too much like a legend, or a bedtime story.

"I still want to help you Isamu." Her voice shook. Couldn't he tell? She had wanted to help him since his wife passed away. He was so lost and it was killing her. For the last quarter of a century he had been like a shell. Going through the motions, only occasionally showing her a glimpse of the demon he had been before the loss of his mate.

She knew how beautiful he was, and had waited patiently for him to remember too. And now he was pushing her away from the one thing that kept him going. She knew deep in his heart that as soon as this mission was complete, he could very well give up on life altogether. Had he even thought about a life with her? She couldn't tell. Their friendship had become precious to her, but it wasn't enough. Call her selfish, but she wanted all of him. _'Not yet.'_ She chided herself, forcing the frustration down, showing him only concern.

She took a chance and wrapped her arms around him, resting her ear on the steady beating of his heart. "I've been listening to you tell stories about this moment for almost thirty years Isamu. And in my heart I've been preparing for it. I've worked with you side by side for so long, and now you're asking me to just drop it. Well I can't, I want to help you in so many ways. Please."

She felt two strong arms envelope her and tighten as he fought the storm of emotions that threatened to break him. She could never understand him, not fully. _'Unless of course, you tell her everything.'_ He swallowed. He didn't think she was ready for that. Yet he couldn't let anything happen to her.

She dared to make one more plea.

"Please don't push me away."

* * *

Sesshoumaru watched the doctor as he left. There was something not right about the whole situation. The nurse had been acting strangely too, and there was something hauntingly familiar about her. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself. Graceful, like Rin. 'You're thinking about her again.' He grunted, catching the attention of everyone in the room. 

"I have more important things to do than baby-sit a ningen. I shall return eventually." And with that he left, earning stares from every member of the hospital staff. Especially the females. _'They act as though they have never seen a demon lord before.'_ He said as much to anyone within earshot, causing those eyes to avert themselves, accompanied by flushed cheeks.

"Actually milord, we haven't. Not for centuries." He stopped short at the familiar voice, laced with sarcasm. A snarl made it past his lips as he recognized the scent of the demoness before him.

"Naraku."

"No! Never Naraku. I've always been Kagura and damn you for never seeing it." Annoyance and bitterness etched itself across the Wind Sorceress' face. He had never seen her as anything but tainted.

"Watch your tongue wench, or lose it." The glare held painful promises. "Where is your mate? Surely you didn't lose his leash." He took a perverse pleasure in goading her. And he knew just what buttons to push.

Her eyes widened in anger as Kouga stepped out from behind her, smirk splashed across the wolf's face. A familiar arm wrapped around her waist in comfort.

"Still as ornery as ever eh, Sesshoumaru? You have to understand that it's been 500 years since that day we were all freed from Naraku. Perhaps we were expecting a warmer welcome."

"You waste my time. State your business."

"We're just here to check on dog-breath and Kagome." He could sense Kagura's apprehension. Even after 500 years, she doubted his ability to care for her, to put Kagome behind him.

"How did you happen to find out that my halfling brother and his wench are here?"

Kagura smiled. "It wasn't that hard to figure out when news reached us of "The Child". Born of a hanyou and a miko. He is completely unique."

Sesshoumaru was taken back by her words. What did she mean "The Child"? As if he were part of a prophecy, or a children's story.

"Sesshoumaru, what's wrong?" The question was posed by Kouga. Word had it that all was not well with Kagome, but he would have never thought to sense anxiety from the demon in front of him.

"Excuse me. I have business to attend to." The demon lord gave them no more than a curt nod before leaving, his form quickly disappearing behind metal doors.

He had to find out everything he could about what was happening. And that meant research. And reunions.

Both demon's stared after Sesshoumaru. "Well he certainly didn't learn any manners in 500 years." Kagura complained.

"500 years for us koi, 2 years for him. Remember the legend? I'm sure he went through the Well."

Kagura sighed, and lead the way to Kagome's room. She wanted to get this visit over with. As much as she owed Kagome, she still didn't want her mate alone in the same room with her. Kouga gladly hung behind a few steps, admiring his wife. The modern era had certainly brought about a few unpleasant changes, but women's attire wasn't one of them. Having just come from the office, Kagura was wearing heels, a black skirt that hugged her form nicely, and a black fitted jacket with several pins holding her hair up in a tight bun that just pleaded for release. His eyes flashed predatorily as he watched Kagura walk away. In the 400 years they had been mates, she had never failed to entice him.

In his eyes, Kagome's innocence couldn't compare to the exotic way Kagura carried herself. He was caught watching her as she turned to find out why he wasn't following her. She held his eyes with hers for a moment before walking back toward him and linking her fingers with his. He leaned in slightly and, in a gesture he knew she found more comforting than any kiss, caught her subtle scent. Smiling and leading the way to the room that promised to be interesting in the least, he felt her fingers tightening around his.

They were stopped just outside the room by a small, attractive nurse. "Excuse me sir, ma'am. May I help you?"

Kouga gave her cursory glance, taking in the name on her I.D. tag. "Yes, Miss. Watanabe, my wife and I are here to see Taisho Kagome."

"I'm very sorry, but there has been a development in her case and no one is allowed to visit her until she has been moved to another room."

"What is her condition please?"

"Once again, I must apologize. Are you family? I am only allowed to divulge such information to a member of her immediate family." Kagura sensed her husband's patience quickly wearing thin.

"When will she be moved?" She asked, laying her free hand on his forearm.

The nurse glanced from demon to demoness, "As soon as it can be prepared, and the sooner the better. A half hour at the most."

"Perhaps you could inform Mr. Taisho-sama that we are here, and show us a seating area where we may wait."

"You know him personally?" The surprise in her voice caught them both off guard. "I'm sorry, but we've had so many 'friends' who turned out to be merely curious strangers, we've had to turn away 30 imposters just today." She began to usher them to a private waiting area.

Kouga smirked. "I always knew InuYasha was a side show freak. OOF!" The sharp elbow in his ribs silenced any more 'helpful comments' the wolf might have.

"Please, if you could have a seat, I will tell Mr. Taisho-sama that you are here. Your names please."

"Tell him its wolf-boy and wind-bag." Remembering the hanyou's 'pet names' from so long ago. At another painful jab he amended. "Or just tell him that Kouga and Kagura are here."

* * *

_A/N:_ Yayyy! Two of my absolute favorite characters! Next Chapter there's more of them, and I think we'll get a glimpse into the last few years in the lives of a certain houshi and taijya. Thanks to my sis Moreta Lynx for always stopping whatever she was doing so I can run something by her. She's pretty frickin' sweet! 


	6. End of August

Readers:

So none of you have heard from me in ages I know. And just so you know I haven't lost direction with this story, nor have I abandoned it. My family, and I mean my entire family, (55 aunts, uncles, and cousins) are out here for a few weeks while my grandmother celebrates her 75th birthday. It's also my dad's 50th so that's kinda neat. Anyway, I love all my cousins and I'm never happier than when I have them all here in the same place at the same time.

Needless to say this will be affecting my writing time, and I'm not exactly sure when the next chapter will be up.

So to all 5 of my readers and 4 of my reviewers, I might tap out a couple one shots just to keep the juices flowing, but I wouldn't expect an update on Child's Play before the end of August. I love the story too much to cheapen it by rushing a half hearted attempt at a chapter.

I do have a one-shot in mind right now that I'll probably post tomorrow, depending on how long it takes me to hash it out.

I love you all, and thanks for all the awesome input.

Eskarina


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